What is burrata cheese?

Burrata is a fresh Italian cow’s milk cheese. It has an outer shell made of mozzarella cheese and a creamy center made of mozzarella curds and cream. It is rich and luxurious and buttery, and can usually be found in the fancy cheese section of your grocery store.

Can this salad be made ahead of time?

Like most salads this one is at its very best when it is just made, but it can definitely be put together a few hours ahead, especially if you wait to drizzle the dressing on until the very end.

Can I used dried basil?

I wish I could say yes...but nope. You need fresh basil for this recipe, and luckily it is usually available in your grocery store's produce section, especially in the summer.

Have a question that I didn't cover?

Pop your question in the Comments section below the recipe card and I will answer pronto!

Bacon Caprese Salad: The Perfect Summer Dish

Bacon Caprese Salad

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

Grab some bacon, tomatoes, cheese and basil and you are all set to make the wonder that is this summertime bacon caprese salad recipe!

Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Lunch
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale

8 slices bacon, cut into pieces
2-3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
8 ounces burrata or mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup basil leaves
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, leaving drippings in pan.
Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a platter or individual plates. Tear the cheese into bite sized pieces, tucking the pieces in and around the tomatoes. Scatter the cooked bacon and basil leaves on top (if your basil leaves are large, give them a quick chop).
Pour the bacon drippings into a small jar and add the oil and vinegar. Close the lid tightly and shake.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and serve!

Notes

Bacon: We like thick cut bacon for this recipe, but any kind will work…even turkey bacon if that is your thing!

Tomatoes: Heirloom tomatoes of any kind are our first choice, but any variety of tomatoes are fine – we have even used halved cherry tomatoes.

Cheese: Mozzarella is the traditional choice – the fresh kind from the fancy cheese section of your supermarket. Burrata (which is a mixture of mozzarella and cream) is also AMAZING in this recipe.

Vinegar: We like red wine vinegar for its gentler taste, but you can also use balsamic vinegar…cut it back to 1 tablespoon and taste to see if you want more.

Find it online: https://www.framedcooks.com/bacon-caprese-salad/